


Reinventing Shipwrecks & Dreamlands

by Alexthemedic



Series: Reinventing Shipwrecks & Dreamlands [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Anal Sex, Awkward Tension, Blow Jobs, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Gen, M/M, Multi, Other, Past Rape/Non-con, Poisoning, Realm Hopping, Rough Body Play, Rough Kissing, Rough Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-10-07 09:59:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17363876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alexthemedic/pseuds/Alexthemedic
Summary: Killian was upholding himself to his own promises, helping Jefferson out of his nightmares and into the present, escaping his harsh past. While both peaceful and strange occurrences tempt fates of Storybooke, will everyone be able to finally be at peace?





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> These works are rough for now, but I would like to get them started to see where it goes. It does not depict any of the actual relationships that were on Once Upon a Time. There are some similarities, but while this does play off of them, it is new adaptations to the stories and back stories. Some characters will develop later, while some begin with. This story will end up covering chapters that develop more character relationships, but the main viewpoint is mostly between the relationship between Killian and Jefferson, with story development around their main story. If this develops, I will also gladly accept and take requests for help or suggestions!

It was another frantic nightmare that awoke him with someone gently shaking him awake. Jefferson was nearing closer to being exhausted with the constant reminders of what Wonderland has done to him over the years, of all the realms, it has been the harshest. Next to trying to piece a life back together now, though.It was what had initially separated him from Grace, and what also still holds his heart. He felt as though he might have a love/hate relationship with the place. It can be so warming, and reminding, such a lovely place to spend hours. But maddening, and he must not forget that.

He sits on the side on the bed, feet touching the ground to reassure himself he’s actually here, and beads of sweat form at the side of his face. He runs a careless hand through his hair and pushes himself up off the bed with a sigh. The sleek glass cabinet in the bathroom holds countless different bottles of medications, each with careful consideration for prescription. Jefferson reaches for one, twisting the cap off and taking one before heading back to his room. He’s quiet in the hallway, but peers into Grace’s room, her nightlight flickering against the dark of the walls. He hums to himself, half-smiling, and continues back to his room. He leans his head against the pillow, staring towards the window, watching the trees in the distance sway with the rush of winds that gust with a coming storm. He closes his eyes for a moment, trying to remember anything about what, or who, was shaking him awake in the nightmare. He is repeatedly brought back from them with the same routine shaking, but he can’t seem to remember anything thatwould entice his memory to understand. He pulls the blanket up, flashing a smile before falling back into the dreams, I’ll figure this out, he thinks to himself, drifting off.

*

Once Grace is on the bus for school, Jefferson heads to the diner to clear his thoughts. He pulls a small white pill from his pocket, taking it eagerly, and heads towards the direction of town. The wind is still dying down, but the beams of sun trying to make their way between the clouds can’t be something to complain about. As he approaches the door, Jefferson is met with a heated conversation between Mary Margaret, David, Emma, and a tall handsome man, yielding a hook in place of one of his hands. Jefferson scoffs to himself, rolling his eyes, and trudges closer to the door.

“If I ever knew something was going to be an issue, it was this.” Emma glares towards the one handed man, taking a step closer to him, and forcing David closer between the two as Mary Margaret places a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Now love, I’d hardly call myself an issue, but I appreciate the compliment.” The man takes a half-bow, cracking a smile. “Now, who do I owe the pleasure for this?” He sharply takes a turn towards Jefferson, adjusting his hat, and glancing towards those he knows. After everything that happened in Storybooke and things had finally resumed to what felt like something to call normal, it seemed that new issues had a way of occurring just once another was resolved. And Jefferson didn’t want any part of anything else, he thought to himself.

“Pardon me.” Jefferson tries to swiftly walk past the party, but the man is swifter, stepping up to Jefferson, and following his gaze with his own. Jefferson lets out a shaky breath, and looks back to the man. His eyes meet, and his dark look seems to soften, which makes Jefferson look down towards his feet. The man places his hook under Jefferson’s chin, lifting it up to his own face, smirking. “You are a pretty one, aren’t you, mate.” Jefferson takes a half step back, forcing his hand to push the hook down and meets eyes with the stranger again. “Name is Jefferson.” he says sternly, locking eyes.

The man takes a half-bow again, peering up at Jefferson from his stance. “Pleasure it is. Captain Hook at your service, though unprofessional, Killian.” Killian stands up, and Emma lets out a defeated sigh, looking between family members.

“Stay out of trouble, Hook. I’m watching you, feverishly.” Emma states, pulling keys out of her pocket. “I have some work to do back at the station, but you all know where to find me, when, trouble starts to present itself. In pirate form.”

Killian gently traces down Emma’s face with the side of his hook. “Now sweetheart, don’t place an offer you can’t handle.” Emma swats the hook back from her face, pulling her jacket closer around her.

“Don’t flatter yourself, mate.” Emma mocks, taking a swift step and walking the other direction, followed by a giggling Mary Margaret and blushing David.

Killian directs himself back to his new found possession, straightening himself and opening the door to the diner, glancing towards a booth seen from the frame of the door. “After you, love.” Killian shoves an unwavering Jefferson inside the diner door and seats himself down in a booth, followed by Killian on the other side who daringly taunts with the waitress, Ruby. “Darling,” Killian growls towards her. “fetch a coffee for my new friend and I, won’t you.” Jefferson scans the menu, only to peer up enough to watch Ruby glare back towards Killian.

“We don’t ruin everything with rum here, pirate.” Ruby snarls, giving a gentle smile to Jefferson before turning back towards the counter for cups.

“Well she’s a tad defensive, wouldn’t you say. Pleasurably defensive, I quite enjoy the fight.” Killian eyes Ruby as she hastily places a cup in front of him and then fills them for the boys. Jefferson begins to spin sugar while Killian takes a long drink before putting his cup back down and placing them menu back in its spot against the edge of the table. “Those light fluffy clouds that you drown in the sweet sauce. And the meat that comes in strips.” He bites at the last word, tapping on the table and eyeing Jefferson from behind his menu.

“It’s called pancakes and bacon, you rat.” Ruby smashed the pen against the pad of paper she held, and looked on towards Jefferson. “Jefferson, changing our order yet?” Ruby smiled at him, and he cautiously laid his menu down on top of where Killian had placed his. “I’ll just have what he’s having.” Jefferson mumbled, picking up the menus to hand to her. “Thank you, Ruby.” Ruby, atonished with Jefferson’s breakfast choice, since he ordered the same thing every day after getting Grace off to school, wrote down his order and gently took the menus from his hands.

“Hasty, isn’t that one.” Killian laughs, bringing the cup up to his mouth again for another drink.

The men eat in mostly silence, aside from remarks Killian makes about others around them, hardly able to keep to himself. Jefferson watches him with such arrogance around how he presents, but there’s something else about him that he just can’t seem to let go.

“Do you ever take that thing—“ Killian makes a motion towards Jefferson’s hat, allowing a smile to play at the corner of his lips, “—off, love?” Jefferson tenses up, adjusting the corners of the hat so it fits more securely on his head.

“Not generally—no.” Jefferson says, shoving the last of the pancake in his mouth, and finishing off his coffee. Jefferson places some bills on the table, and begins to stand up.

“Going so quick now are we? Haven’t you any manners, to walk a new friend out.” Killian scoffs, grinning, and stands up from the booth as well, placing enough money to cover the meal and a tip in the hands of Ruby as the brings Jefferson a to-go coffee, like he generally has once he leaves. “I’ll cover these expenditures, mate. You’ll have more in the future.” Killian says to him, running a hand against the table and playfully bringing the money back to tuck it in the front pocket of Jeffersons pressed jacket.

“Thank you, Ruby. See you tomorrow.” Jefferson tips his hat towards his friend, and heads for the door, followed by the charming and fast-paced pirate now connected to his every move. Killian leapt towards the door and quickly opens it while Jefferson makes his way past him and out, starting his walk home down the main drag of the street.

“Now love, running off so quick are we? Have we no time to catch up?” Killian swiftly and sternly braces Jefferson against the wall of the building closest to them, backing him up as much as he can, eagerly closing the space between the bodies of the two. Jefferson gulps, a bead of sweat running down from the top of his hat towards the line of his jaw.

“What do you want from me.” Jefferson exclaims, locking his frantic glance with the relaxed and entertained smile of the pirate before him. “I don’t have anything that is worth what you’re needing. I’ve lost everything.” Jefferson smells the sweet scent of the syrup and coffee mixing on the breath of Killian as he runs his hook down the side of his face, breaking the distance.

“You’ve been dragging me into those particularly unpleasant dreams of yours and that Wonderland.” Jefferson flashes back to the shaking in his nightmares that wakes him each time they occur, and tries to connect the pieces.

“No, you’re lying. That can’t be possible.” Jefferson suggests, mostly to try and make himself believe what he’s saying. “I may try theft, but lying isn’t my specialty today, sweetheart.” Killian chimes locking eyes with Jefferson. Killian hasn’t ever had much of an actual interest in someone, but something else played in his head with Jefferson. He longed to know more of why he was part of these dreams, this place of Wonderland, and of course Jefferson himself. He’s seen enough to know what trouble runs beneath the surface that Jefferson tries to maintain, and he knows he can help him find his way to fix it.

Jefferson tries to break against the hold that Killian has on him, weary of what dark runs in his veins. “I’m sorry, I have to go. I didn’t mean to cause any trouble, but please. I have to meet my daughter at the bus in a few hours and I must not be late.”

“Don’t be sorry, love. You’ll be on time for Grace, wouldn’t ever leave her again, now would we. You might be afraid of those dreams, mate, but I want to be in more than just those.” Killian gets a wicked grin across his face and hastily pulls Jefferson in by his shirt, their lips meeting for the first time here. Jefferson feels his body relax some against the tense hold that Killian has on him, and his face turns a deep scarlet. Killian runs his tongue against Jefferson’s teeth and pulls back to look at Jefferson before planting a soft, but rushed kiss on his lips once more. “Mate, would you mind if we discuss things in the privacy of your walls. Ships a beauty, but she's a tale for another day.” Killian smugly shrugs, taking a single step back from Jefferson who looks around but sees no one around what feels like ghostly streets that are generally rather busy. Trying to process what just happened, and what could happen, Jefferson looks back up to Killian and gives him a wickedly maddening smile, feeling a little less cautious. “Of course.”


	2. Valium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killian has been long awaiting meeting Jefferson, but has his approach been too forward in the hopes of helping him escape the realms he doesn't wish to stay tormented in?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just toying around with some rough added ideas so that I can work these events into hopefully later chapters. Let me know what you think or if you have anything that should be incorporated, thanks!

Jefferson unlocked the door, not completely sure he was trusting his new found friend. His head was spinning, collections of thoughts that were unable to process themselves completely to mend what his mind tried to make realistic. Everything was deafening, his ears ringing, it was an unsettling type of silence. The pirate closed the door behind him, but it was the second click that made him uneasy, as he felt a strong jab in the back of his neck.   
“Get out of my house, and get away from me.” Jefferson gritted his teeth, hand sweating against the material fit snug in his hand. The pirate lifted his hand, and hook, in the air above his head and carefully turned around towards the hatter. “Now.” He simply stated, pushing the gun right against Killian’s face.   
“Now love, why don’t we go ahead and put that away, I’m not here to harm you mate, I’m here to help.” Quite mad, the pirate thought to himself, putting his hooked hand to the gun and lowering it from his face. “Please, just let me—“ The pirate put his hand out towards Jefferson’s face, and in the same moment, Jefferson slams his hands against his head, falling to his knees. His hat falls, rolling across the room and coming to a stop in the corner by the fireplace. Nothing like this can be happening, he wanted to be done going from realm to realm and just wanted to forget everything that happened before.   
“Please leave me be.” Jefferson whined into the floor, the gun now laying at his side, the pirate was quick to remove it from the situation before one of them was removed from it instead. Jefferson felt a hand at his shoulder, he was embarrassed, ashamed even. He sat up, crossing his legs and Killian offered the hat to him, Jefferson gripped it tight against his chest and a single tear rolled down his cheek. “I can’t keep losing myself.” Jefferson grimaced, hands gripping the hat.   
“I want to know more. About you. If I’m going to help you, I might as well be able to know who I’m working with.” Killian suggested, looking towards the hatter. Jefferson nodded his head, plopping his hat back on his head and adjusting it until it felt secure enough. His hands were trembling, the thought of allowing someone to know who he was, deepened his fear of who he didn’t want to become again.   
“I’ll get some tea, then.” And Jefferson was already off towards the another room in the maze of a house before the pirate could determine what was going on.   
“I’ll just have this here rum, love.” Killian absently said into the dark of the halls off in other directions, steadily standing and brushing off invisible bits of nothing from his clothes. He lazily waltzed closer to the fire that was steadily cracking away, making himself comfortable in one of the oversized armchairs in the almost otherwise vacant room.   
Jefferson returned to Killian moments later, two cups in tow, and offered one to the pirate as he sat in the chair across. He hastily took a small single white, this time, blue pill from his pocket and shoved it into his mouth, whisking it away to work its magic in his system, glancing up at the pirate, who, is seemingly still occupied with himself. Killian looks up to meet the hatter’s gaze as he pockets the rum again after putting a generous helping of it into his tea. The hatter rolls his eyes, but the pirate offers a half-hearted smirk, careful of the boundaries of the man before him. “Rum makes it better, mate, not to disregard your tea making abilities.” The pirate does a mocking half-bow in the chair towards the hatter. Jefferson shrugs, taking another long sip of his tea, swirling a spoon in it before looking back up towards Killian.   
“So where were we then.” Jefferson sighs, letting out a long, slow, and shaky breath. “I don’t have much time, before I have to get Grace.” the hatter exclaims, looking at a pocket watch that he tucks back in, before peering back at the pirate.   
“Aside from our innate ability to dislike one another sometimes, Snow, David and Emma are watching for Grace after school is out, they’ve invited her own for dinner and to spend time with Henry, they’ll bring her back over after, dear.” The pirate simply states, fetching a hand into the coat of the hatter and emerging with a bottle with a label on it. “What is it ya keep taking mate? I’ve watched you get enveloped with these in your dreams, and now I’m confirming it again in this realm.” Jefferson snapped towards the pirate and tried to grab for the bottle, but Killian has played this game long before. “Give it back to me, please.” Jefferson bit at the last word, almost growling at the pirate. He didn’t feel comfortable not having what kept him sane with him at all times. Killian looks at the front of the bottle again, tapping the contents around and then aggressively tries to open it, finally snapping the lid off and sending the hatter into a panic state. The captain sniffed at the inside and ran a finger against the fine powder that coated the inside with the medications. He took one out and eyed it cautiously, flipping it in his hand.   
“Val-ei-rum?” The pirate slaps his knee and throws the pill in his mouth, crunching it around, and quickly making a pressed face, starting into a cough. “What have you done?!” The hatter all but shrieked at him.   
“What in the bloody hell is that thing?” The captain continued to cough, soothing it by taking a long drink of his rum, pocketing it again, and running a hand in his unruly hair, flipping his legs over the sided of the chair, and focusing his attention back to Jefferson.   
“It’s Valium, you idiot!” Jefferson choked back his frustration and alarm.  
“I thought it was some kind of new world developed powdered rum in a sweets form, mate!” The captain shot back, showing obvious frustration.   
The hatter halted in this state for a moment, grabbing the bottle back the pirate, and shoving it back as deep as he could into his coat.  
“Dr. Hopper, he prescribed it to me when Regina made me start going there to see him, along with other medications he said that these would make me normal! So that I wouldn’t keep going mad!” He all but screamed now, tears streaming down his face, his near black looking eyes aggressively focusing on Killian and grinning. “And you just took it! You have no idea what it’s going to do to you. What it will do to your mind.” The hatter shoved his finger to this throat, tearing off the scarf he tightly wore. “They’ll be off with your head too!” He took his finger and ran it mockingly against the scar, the entire length of this neck. He was now laughing so maddening that the captain was unsure what to do for his new friend. He had no idea what the hatter was capable of when it seemed that he has started to lose himself.   
“I’m just going to get some water, love.” Killian slowly stood, backing his way into the kitchen and pulling his phone out of his pocket, now that he was getting better as using new world items, things came easier to him then before. He dialed the number and waited for an answer. “Archie, yeah. Captain Killian Jones. I think I’m need need of your services mate.” The captain took a deep breath waiting for help from the other side of the line.   
“Your head, your head, your head!” The hatter screamed from the other room, filling up teacups alined the wall with tea, overflowing it onto the floor. The pirate rolled his eyes, almost regretting his decision to helping the hatter.   
“Well just hurry, he’s going mad.” The pirate snarled into the phone, shoving it back into his pocket, before approaching directly across from the hatter. “Listen mate, let’s just take a minute to calm down, okay?” Killian suggests, but Jefferson begins to grab the tea cups, throwing them in the direction of the dodging pirate, and smashing them with glass clashing all around them into the walls. The captain takes an opportunity to make a break and slams himself into the hatter and throws him onto the ground. Jefferson is held down under Killian, who has fastened his hands over the hatter’s wrists on either side of his head. The hatter has tears streaking down his face, his hands bloodied from shards of glass and slamming himself around. Killian fiercely plants a single, gentle kiss against the hatter’s lips and pulls back, watching something switch off in Jefferson’s eyes. The captain takes his hook and smooths back the hatter’s hair, giving him another gentle kiss on the forehead. “Shh, love. This isn’t you, and I’m going to help you with this.”   
“I’m going mad.” The hatter coiled himself up under the pirate and it was Killian who backed away enough to see the deepening state of Jefferson’s eyes, the blood lust that was filling him with rage, anger, hurt, and confusion. He threw the captain off of him and armed himself with a sword off of the wall, laughing again as he threw things around the room.   
“Now mate, put the sword down, I do not want to have to do this.” The pirate warned, drawing his own sword from his side. The hatter came towards the captain thrusting the sword towards his face, but Jefferson’s mind was so groggy, he couldn’t tell what was here and was wasn't here anymore. Trying to facilitate a plan, the hatter jumped towards the pirate again, this time cutting the weapon into one of the beautiful armchairs that sat in the living room, running a rip from one side to the other. “You arrogant rat!” The hatter shrilled, charging towards Killian, who drew his sword and took a daring jab in Jefferson’s direction. A long clean cut ran half the length of the hatter’s arm, dripping blood onto the carpet. “You gave me no choice, love.” The captain said, obviously distressed and hurt with the outcome. The captain watched as blood continued to drip, but the hatter looked as if he reconnected to the world around him. His eyes returned to their normal color, like the evil had left them.   
Tears swelled in the hatter’s eyes, darting around the room and down to his arm. His head began to throb, and things became more fuzzy and unclear to him, his gaze became a daze of what was occurring around him. “Killian?” Jefferson called out, faintly feeling warm hands grasp at his body as he what felt like, melted to the floor. His eyes became heavy, and after everything went dark, he was back in Wonderland.   
*  
“Every episode since he was trapped there without the ability to come back until the curse was broken, has been severe, but nothing as bad as it has been lately.” Dr. Hopper quietly explained to the captain.   
Jefferson was laying in bed, a line of stitches run along his arm, and a grimaced, pain look upon his sleeping face. The captain and Archie watched on as he slept. Snow and David had come earlier to grab some of Grace’s things to stay the weekend so that they could look after her father.   
“I’ve been trying to find the right medications to make him feel more connected to this world now, his world now. So that he can let go of what happened in Wonderland. But I haven’t been successful, and right now I feel like I’m working backwards.” Dr. Hopper explained, rubbing his hands together.   
Hook got a strange look in his eyes, rubbing his hook along his jawline, sighing. “Listen mate, I think he’s been getting stuck back in this Wonderland, and he’s been taking me with him.”


	3. Mad Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Killian and Jefferson take their first willing travel together to Wonderland to develop a plan of how to stop the dream realm from taking over their every waking minute. Jefferson is discovering he may be feeling more for Killian than he originally planned.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re saying.” Dr. Hopper simply stated, almost too calm for the captain.   
“You’re telling me, mate. That you are in another realm, just vanished to this new world, by magic, and you don’t know what I’m saying? Listen love, I find that a little hard to believe.” The captain tosses a look towards the sleeping hatter, motioning with his hooked hand. “Have you honestly no idea? You believe in bloody dragons, evil queens, true love and all the nonsense that entails, but you don’t have an explanation for getting trapped in that damn Wonderland with Sir Mad Hat over there? He takes me with him,” The pirate leaned closer to Archie, grabbing a fistful of his shirt, snarling. “and I want to know what’s going on.” Killian tensed his jaw, releasing his hold on Dr. Hopper, and leaned back, furrowing his brow.   
“Wait, you’re saying in any given moment, you get taken into Wonderland with Jefferson?” Archie exclaims, raising a hand to his chin, giving the captain a questionable look.   
“Look love, I know I don’t have the best reputation, but when I’m telling you I’m not lying, I’m not. Something is going on. I don’t disappear, like having with this curse.” Hook twirls his finger in the air, motioning around them. “But, I almost feel as if part of me is on hold here, and part of me goes, whenever he takes these trips, but it’s almost always at night, so I think they’re dreams. Nightmares of the sort really. Sometimes I even jolt myself up from them with some battle signs, injuries if you will.” The captain looks puzzled, but is easily captivated with the expression that Archie holds.   
“That’s just it! We’re on to something. You are right, he’s been taken back into the Wonderland. But why, and how? Something, or even someone, could be pulling him, being his easy nature of that happening as a portal-jumper.” The captain gives the doctor as distasteful look at the nickname of the nature of his friend.   
“If he’s just a portal-jumper, that makes me just a pirate, mate.” Hook cockily grins, and Archie motions to the hallway where the two of them restart the conversation.   
“That’s not what I mean, Killian. You know that.” Dr. Hopper puts a hand on the captain’s shoulder, reassuring him of his trusting nature. “But, I think we have a way to fix this, fix Jefferson. I believe what is happening, well, it’s hard to explain. I haven’t come across it before, and I’m hardly sure if I can believe it’s happening. I think whatever is gripping him back to that land, he found someone who could help. I’m not sure how you’re the one that got connected, but you get taken there, and from the likes of how he’s explained these nightmares before to me, you’re the one hidden figure that must be stopping them. Have you ever been to Wonderland before?” Archie questioned, trying to formulate in his mind what his plan was.   
“Afraid not, mate. I’m sure I would remember a place like that after having seeing it now, interesting hell of a hole.” The captain remarks.  
Dr. Hopper sighs, readjusting himself against the wall, flipping open a small book he pulled from his pocket, and flipping back and forth until he finds what he was looking for and begins reading before hesitantly looking back up at the captain. “Okay, here’s what were going to do.”   
*  
“So wait, what?” The disoriented hatter shakes his head again, sitting up and taking in a sharp breath with the pain searing in his arm. Killian gets a hardened look on his face, disappointed with himself for hurting someone he cares about. Someone he cares about? Sure, he’s cared for other before, friends, shipmates, but never another person like this. And of anyone it had to be the hatter, who is literally quite maddening at the moment.   
“Dr. Hopper said that our dream realm portion of ourselves, like our subconscious selfs or something bloody confusing like that goes from our bodies and into actual Wonderland. Not like when I’ve been trapped in Neverland though, different.” The captain rubs his hand behind his head, smirking. “Okay, look, mate. It’s like this. Archie said something, or someone was dragging you back to the land, place—thing.” The captain motions to Jefferson’s hat sitting atop the dresser in the room. “He said that whatever happens there, some of it allows it back to happen to us, in our actual forms. Like I suspected when I mentioned it at the diner, I’ve been getting taken back to Wonderland with you. He said it has to be some kind of a dream realm, where you have these nightmares, but partially realistic, since it’s a realm. But the good news is, were going to fix them. The bad news is, love, I don’t know where to start.”   
Jefferson was confused. All of it seemed like so much to take in, but he knew that what the captain and Dr. Hopper were talking about, was real. He knows it’s real because things happen to him, and they happen to Killian, and he wants to make it stop. “I want to do whatever it takes, to quit going to the dream realm.”   
“Archie said the first step, is to try to figure out anything we can about what’s going on, before attempting to fix them in the dream realm. He said we have to go to Wonderland.”  
“No, we can’t go back. Not like that.” Killian lifts the hatter’s face into the curve of his hook, looking him in the eyes, before planting a gentle kiss on the hatter’s lips. “Love, the danger is gone there. The Red Queen has been beheaded and no longer lives.” Jefferson absentmindedly runs his fingers over the scar on his neck. The captain takes the hatter’s hands in his, giving him a soft smile. “Don’t do this for you, or for me, but do it for Grace.”   
“Fine, whatever we have to do, I’ll do it.” Jefferson sighs, and carefully gets himself out of the bed, moving things around in the closet to dress himself for their visit.   
Straightening his vest, the hatter looks up at the pirate, tears forming in his lost blue eyes. “I’ll keep you safe, love. I am a pirate, after all. It’s my job to keep track of the treasures.” Killian looks away, embarrassed at how soft he is being, feeling the hatter peer at him from across the room. Jefferson smiles, he might not admit it, but his feelings towards the captain are actually heading in a direction he could get comfortable with.   
“Well, better be off then.” The captain mumbles, looking up at the smiling Jefferson, which quickly fades. Jefferson nods, slowly, and grabs his hat. He traces along the sides of it, feeling the worn material between his hands, his heart races. The thought of going back there, willingly again, made him shiver with fear. Wonderland was exceptional, prior to the ruling of the Queen of Hearts. There was much lightness, and carefreeness there. Then the Queen came and trapped him there after she took his head off, leaving him to roam mad without Grace. Without anyone, anymore. She gave him his head back, with the promise of finding ways to create more magic, more portals to other realms so she would be able to overtake them all. A lot of bad things happened in the time the hatter was trapped there. But that should have been all behind him, after Emma Swan broke the curse, and after things were finally getting back to a normal, for now, until they could find a way for everyone to get back to their realms. For things to really, actually be right. But Jefferson didn’t want everyone he was finally, mostly back around, to be taken back to realms after everyone had finally came together and got along. Now, especially Killian.   
“When I open it, you jump with me. Only as many go in, can come back out.” Jefferson says calmly, setting the hat on the floor, and giving it a strong spin.   
“Feel like I’ve heard that before, mate.” The captain grumbles, beginning to have a flash of one of the dreams he was pulled into.   
A strong purple smoke envelopes the room and the hatter grabs Killian’s hand, squeezing it tight. The captain looks towards Jefferson and he can finally see a spark of the Jefferson that he first met at the diner, clouded with these teasingly frantic notes that make him much darker of a person. “Now!” Jefferson exclaims, pulling Killian along with him. A dark room suddenly appears light, and there are rows upon rows of different decorated doors.   
“These are different realms, that’s Wonderland there.” The hatter stiffened, taking a step forward.   
“Never wanted to not see so many realms within reach in my life, love.” Killian said, reaching a hand out towards the door in front of him, his hand passed through, as he tried to steady himself, he falters, falling into the realm. He smacks face first against the pavement, a stunned Jefferson catching himself behind, and dusting off his vest as the pirate collects himself. The two are met with an oddly dissatisfying worn down gate, with wildly large and imaginative flowers all around them, talking.   
“It’s the mad hatter, we see you’ve got your head back!” They gossip, loudly, and flowing their large stems and brightly colored petals towards the pair, giggling and watching on as the hatter grabs at Killian’s coat, pulling him farther into the foggy land.   
“Quit listening to them, Killian. hate that name, I hate Wonderland.” The hatter grumbles, stopping at the beginning of a path, with creatures running all around, mushrooms, flowers, and trees as high as you can see.   
“Well then, the whole realm is confusion enough then isn’t it. No luck in finding anything here, might as well just go back then, right, love.” Killian exclaims, heading back in the direction of the door. He is jaunted back with a tugging of his coat, only to find him facing the hatter again. who comes within inches of his face. “You said you’d help me.” Jefferson grins, drawing a breath out so close the captain can taste his desperation. “And now we’re here.” Jefferson bows, flashing a hand towards the path, and Killian clears his throat.   
“I’m not afraid of bloody anything, I’ve killed for less than crossing my path, so be it.” Hook exclaims, heading towards the path, Jefferson following.   
The two walk for what seems like hours, looking for anything they can. The land seems gloomy still, like something isn’t quite right.   
Just then, Jefferson pulls Killian to a stop and the captain looks forward to what has stopped Jefferson. Guards, running straight for them, dressed in all red. “Fancy this happening.” Killian draws his sword, giving a wicked grin towards the guards. “Go on then, loves, come have at it!” Killian daunts them, trying to cause trouble.   
“No, we have to go, we have to hurry. The Red Queen, she’s still here somehow. I have a feeling she’s behind this somehow.” Jefferson pulls the hat off of his head, he hasn’t had to try and portal jump like this in awhile, but it’s going to have to do. He throws the hat on the ground with a spinning motion and the portal opens. Jefferson shoves Killian into the portal and runs in himself, just as a pile of guards throws themselves on top of one another, landing on solid ground.   
The two are thrown onto the living room floor of Jefferson’s house, while Killian manages to untangle himself from the hatter. “Sorry.” Jefferson mumbles, sitting up and resting his chin on his hands. “I don’t know what were going to do.” He sighs, and Killian pulls himself as upright as the hatter, breaking the distance between the two with parting lips.   
“We found our clue, now we just go back, and we fix it. You have to trust me, Jefferson.” Killian manages to say, between interlocking kisses. Jefferson smiles into the captain’s kiss, breaking away from his mouth for merely a second.   
“It’s dangerous.” He whispers, adjusting his hat on his head, and standing up to brush off his clothes.   
The hatter was worried. But he wanted free from this, from his mind. He spent so long being the one that was mad, that he wanted to feel something again. To feel no more regret.


	4. Tea Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe this was all Killian’s fault, but he just wanted to help, and he kind of wanted out of some of the nightmares. Sometimes they didn’t bother him so much, but he could only take so many times of seeing Jefferson lose his head, before it had started to make him sick to his stomach and yearn to be able to fix what was happening to his friend, maybe even more.

Killian hadn’t seen Jefferson in almost three months. Did it really matter though? The hatter locked him out of his life, leaving him to only be seen in his dreams. Hook was still a prisoner of the nightmares that were slowly enveloping the hatter’s life. Killian thought they were starting on a new foot when they had gotten back, barely safely, from Wonderland. But the hatter went cold on the captain, and then started into a rage. He never wanted to see hook again, and he didn’t want his help. But Killian just wanted the same Jefferson back that he had first met, cautious and as lovely as ever, the first night in the diner after he approached him. Maybe this was all Killian’s fault, but he just wanted to help, and he kind of wanted out of some of the nightmares. Sometimes they didn’t bother him so much, but he could only take so many times of seeing Jefferson lose his head, before it had started to make him sick to his stomach and yearn to be able to fix what was happening to his friend, maybe even more.   
Just as Killian was fastening the awfully shaped plastic covering on his coffee from the diner to head back to his ship, something started a deep buzzing in his pocket, causing him to jump back at himself with alarm.   
“Bloody new world.” The captain huffed, pulling the phone from his pocket, forgetting he wasn’t just traveling in his type of world anymore. “Miss Swan, to what do I owe the lavish pleasure?” He mocked, stiffening his posture from the words coming from the other end of the line. He hung up the phone, determined, and swiftly leaving the diner with his coffee still emitting steam on the counter.   
*  
It was first the looks on the faces, but the most alarming thing was all of the guests. Emma, Mary-Margaret, David, Henry, Grace, and Archie.   
The pirate sneered, hesitantly hovering over his sword. “What are you all doing here? And why beckon me for the pleasure party here?” David rolled his eyes, offering a hand of peace up in the direction of the captain.   
“Look, hook.” David began, only to be interrupted with an uproar.   
“Captain, to you, mate.” Killian glared in the direction of the newcomers, but relaxed his expression upon looking towards Henry and Grace. He need not do anything that was necessary, especially when he didn’t know what was going on, and why he was here, when Jefferson very well didn’t want him near.   
“Right, sorry. What David is trying to say, is Dr. Hopper said you would be the best bet for the situation. That’s why we called you, there’s something you need to see. The mad ha—Jefferson, is in the other room, he’s not fully aware that anyone is actually here. But when Mary-Margaret didn’t see him to pick up Grace like he usually does from school on Tuesday’s for lunch at Granny’s after, she tried to call the house. No answer, so she called me, and Henry, Grace, and myself came straight over. That’s when I called for my parents, who in turn called Archie. Now, we need you. Belle is going to look after Henry and Grace while were gone, but we’re going to need Robin, Regina, and Gold before—“ Hook snarled towards Emma, letting himself waltz around the room in laugher.   
“No love, you’ve got it wrong. I’m not going anywhere for anything with the bloody crocodile helping. I have no mercy in killing him, sweetheart, don't tempt me by making it easier.”   
“I think you might reconsider our idea, once you see what’s going on. “ Archie softly said, motioning towards a dark hallway with a light glistening from one of the rooms.   
Killian began quietly down the hallway, but lost himself once he got to frame of the doorway, resting himself against the wall. “No, Jefferson?” Hook questions towards the hatter, who continues talking to himself. The room is an office, of sorts, set up for Jefferson to work, and Grace has her own desk for working on homework and her colorings. Beautifully decorated, and overly comfortable, the walls are covered with drawings that the captain can well relate to. Wonderland. Though the room is primarily modern and updated, there are shelves along a wall that are lined with memories, and objects that Grace has grown up playing with. Usually settled into the corner, but now in the middle of a room is a checkered, off-white, small wooden children’s table set. On the table are plastic tea cups, a kettle, spoons, dishes, an assortment for the perfect child’s tea party. In the opposite three chairs, are three stuffed, ragged animals, propped up with cups of tea in front of them. A rabbit, a mouse, and a rather creepy looking cat. The hatter poured fake cups of tea to each of them, over and over, mumbling incoherent sentences to them. Every so often, his eyes would trail up to look at Killian, but they didn’t show any signs of reality, as dark as they became. Killian stepped forward, crouching in front of the table, placing a hand on his knee to steady himself. “Jefferson?” He starts again, startling the hatter to look up at him, but still very much not in the same world as them. “This isn’t real.”   
With a quick smile that stretched across his face, the hatter jolted himself towards the pirate, slamming him into the hallway and tumbling with a thud. “I’m late, late for the tea with Grace!” The hatter shrieked, fumbling around with Killian on the floor, straining to get up from the hold Jefferson had on him around his neck. “Please, listen to me. Stop this madness.” Killian chocked out, already fully regretting the last word that left his lips, struggling to breathe.   
“Daddy!” A shrill came and more lights were flicked on in the house, David pulling the hatter off of Killian and dragging him to the living room where Mary-Margaret was starting a fire.   
Archie pulled a thin needle from his pocket, quickly injecting the medication into the hatters muscle, before helping David settle him onto the couch. “It’s okay Grace. Hook is a good friend of your father’s and he’s going to help fix him okay?” Archie explains to a tearful Grace in the corner of the room, comforted by Henry and Emma. Grace missed when her dad was like he used to be, when she didn’t have to worry if he was playing with her, or lost. If he was going to cook dinner for her, or she was going to make something for them, when she could barely reach the top shelf in the fridge. Grace nodded her head, and Emma wiped a tear from her eye before letting it fall down her face, hugging her a little tighter to her.   
“Why don’t you say we go wait in the movie room until Belle gets here to help your dad, I’ll pop some popcorn and get some drinks?” Emma suggests, bending down in front of Henry and Grace for approval.   
*  
Though not exactly the adventure he was hoping for, Killian held his tongue, and his sword back, while discussing what the plan was with Gold. Belle was settled in with the kids, while Regina, Robin, and Gold stood before the others, figuring out the best approach.   
“I say we just go in and cut her bloody head off.” The captain exclaims, drawing his sword from his side, looking over at a sleeping Jefferson, curled up with a blanket.   
Regina scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Nonsense, pirate. And do remember; though we don’t see eye to eye, she is, unfortunately, my mother.” Regina cut in, Robin running a hand around her waste to keep her at a safe distance.   
“Let us all remember, that I am the one making the deal.” Gold raised a hand twirling it in the air, before smiling and holding up a box, glowing red from the inside. “Now, we just have to have something she wants. Oh, look at this.” He lets out a shrill giggle, opening the box slightly before closing it again.   
“Where did you get that?!” Regina squints, rage filling for the man in front of her.   
“It’s for me to know, and you to not find out, dearie.” He stated, handing the hat to Killian, from which it was placed on the floor in the middle of all of them.   
“Cora has always been in search to get her heart back. Half of the reasoning Jefferson is getting back from her doing, is because she feels that he is the most equipped of portals and of Wonderland, in particular. So she wants his work to be done, to mend her broken heart. So here’s where the deal comes in.” He looks around, careful of how he approaches his own thoughts, things that knows that must be done rightfully so in hopes of returning everyone back like they came in. “We break into the castle, section her off from her guards. When she isn’t prepared, we threaten her, but I very well know she will be expecting a deal to be made. We will offer a trade of her having power over her own heart again, with the help of Regina to return it to her body. She will then be banished of the power to draw others back into her land, her realm. She will cause no more harm to travelers that venture there, and will return Jefferson to his normal—original so to speak—state.”   
“How do we know this will work?” David questions, looking towards Mary-Margaret and Emma, not wanting his family to separate anymore than they already have had to in the past.   
“Oh it will, dearie. Trust me.” Gold claps his hands together, motioning towards Killian with the hat still in hand. “You, spin the hat. You’ve been taken there enough times in your wish realm then one could imagine. David, you help me with getting the hatter into the portal. Everyone else, just make sure you make it in. Remember, the hat has it’s own rules, and we follow them. Everyone ready?” Rumple states, getting fleeting glances from everyone around him, but nods alas.   
Killian spins the hat on the ground, and everyone watches as a purple smoke emits around them and opens up a portal. The group stands around one another in a circle around the portal. Robin looks towards them, grabbing hands with Regina and Emma. “Everyone grab a part of the person next to you, and on three we jump!” He yells over the consuming sound of the portal that has emerged in front of them. “One, two,—th”.  
“Three!” The group of friends and enemies alike, falls from somewhere in the middle of the air, landing with thuds and curses. “Guys, I said on three jump, not jump into a new realm for three.” Robin whines, rubbing a hand on his throbbing head.   
“Where’s the bloody door!” Killian shouts, untangling himself from the others, everyone trying to stand on their own.   
“You must have been able to bring us straight to the realm without having to cross the door.” Rumple said, becoming mockingly with his words. “A pirate, with magic ability. Who would have know you could do more than drink, cheat, and steal.” Hook starts after Gold, but is stopped when he sees Jefferson. Standing on his own, he turns towards the others, and looks up in the sky. He looks past everyone and then back towards Killian, glaring.   
“You. I said to stay away from me. And all of you.” Jefferson shakes his head in disbelief at everyone. “Why are we here?” He lets out a soft cry, but holds the demeanor that he’s angry still.   
“I didn’t ask to come here again, mate, so don’t with the staying away still and stifled cries.” Killian grumbled, but quickly regretted his decision to voice how he felt. He knew everything was hard right now, and he knew that he wanted to help, not make things worse. A Pirate is a pirate, but there can be good found in them, still.   
“I just didn’t want you to keep getting hurt, or rather, worse. When I realized the dangers here again, I didn’t want to risk losing something that finally felt like it was going right when everything else wasn’t.” Jefferson rubbed a hand against his neck, looking down to the ground.   
Jefferson was back, for now.   
Killian stepped forwards, gently approaching the hatter. He fastened his hook and hand to readjust the scarf that Jefferson had on, covering up the scar that was showing after being thrown from the portal. “We have a plan, all of us. We’re going to stop this, love.” Killian lifted the hatter’s chin up with his hook. He could see the fear and chaos still lingering in Jefferson’s eyes, but he knew he was finding a way to get him back, all of him. Killian gently, but eagerly moved towards Jefferson’s parted lips. He kissed the hatter and swears he could feel him relax into his arms.   
Emma clears her throat, and Jefferson pulls back from Killian, face burning red. They smirk at one another. “Uh, we should get going.” Jefferson suggests, letting out a half embarrassed laugh so getting so caught up in the captain.   
Just then Killian bends down, picking up a colorful cookie on the path, which simply states “Eat me” on the front in fine, glistening icing. “Don’t mind if I do then, mate.” Killian shrugs, but the cookie is smacked from his hand, heading towards his open mouth. “Hey, love! Now that wasn’t very friendly of you after we’ve gotten off to such a good start again, wouldn’t you agree.”   
“Are you daft?” The hatter mocks, shaking his head.   
“Well, love. It was something to eat, practically begging me to eat it, really.” Killian motions to the broken cookie on the ground with the tempting “Eat me” still visible in the crumbled pile.   
“Just because it says to eat it, doesn't mean that’s what you do here, Killian.” Jefferson darkly says, grabbing the captain by the hand and dragging him along, following the rest of the group.   
Killian smugly smiled to himself. “You do fancy me, don’t you, love?” He ran his hook down Jefferson’s side, the other rolling his eyes, but a coy smile playing at the corners of his lips.   
“Shut up, let’s get this over with.” Jefferson couldn’t help but try and keep his smile hidden, his cheeks hurt from the new found emotion that was radiating in his body. Maybe something could come of this, he thought, the pair catching up with the rest of the group. The castle off in the distance sent shivers down the hatter’s spine, but the warmth of Killian’s hand in his made him not afraid of anything anymore.   
And that’s just how it liked it.


End file.
